Shloka 55

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas

Devanagari script

वालिसुग्रीवयो र्भ्रात्रो: पुरेव कपिसिंहयो: । अन्योन्यमपि संरब्धौ परस्परजयैषिणौ,एक ओर कीचकोंका प्रधान कीचक था, तो दूसरी ओर मनुष्योंमें श्रेष्ठ भीमसेन। जैसे पूर्वकालमें कपिश्रेष्ठ वाली और सुग्रीव दोनों भाइयोंमें घोर युद्ध हुआ था, वैसा ही इन दोनोंमें भी होने लगा। दोनों एक-दूसरेपर कुपित थे और परस्पर विजय पानेकी इच्छासे लड़ रहे थे

Transliteration

vāli-sugrīvayor bhrātroḥ pureva kapi-siṁhayor | anyonyam api saṁrabdhau paraspara-jayaiṣiṇau ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Wie einst die beiden löwengleichen Affenbrüder Vāli und Sugrīva eine grimmige Schlacht ausfochten, so begannen nun auch diese beiden zusammenzuprallen. Beide waren gegeneinander von Zorn entbrannt, beide suchten den Sieg: auf der einen Seite Kīcaka, der Erste unter den Seinen; auf der anderen Bhīmasena, der Beste der Menschen.

Word by Word

वालिof Vali

सुग्रीवयोःof Sugriva (two persons implied with Vali as a pair in context)

भ्रात्रोःof the two brothers

पुराformerly, in olden times

इवlike, as if

कपि-सिंहयोःof the two lion-like monkeys (Vali and Sugriva)

अन्योन्यम्each other, mutually

अपिalso, even

संरब्धौboth enraged, excited

परस्पर-जय-एषिणौboth desiring victory over each other

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vāli

Sugrīva

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger and the craving for victory (jaya-eṣaṇā) intensify conflict; it implicitly invites reflection on restraint and right purpose in the use of strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator compares the impending fight to the famous Vāli–Sugrīva brotherly combat, indicating that the two opponents have become mutually enraged and are battling with the sole aim of defeating each other.